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The Reader

Review

Sefia and her aunt Nin have been on the run for years after her father was brutally murdered. But one day, their journey comes to a sudden stop when Nin gets kidnapped by people looking for a mysterious object. Sefia discovers that she has been carrying the object the entire time: a book. Reading and books as we know it today are unheard of Sefia’s world, but that does not stop her from going on a journey to discover that reading is magic, and lots of dangerous consequences and new power can come from it. Teaching herself to read, she is determined to find answers and get Nin back, along with the help of a new companion with a dark past.

"Though I have read over books that pay token to reading or contain beautiful passages about the impact of literature, THE READER takes appreciating books to a whole new level. "

As the synopsis gives away, reading and books are a huge and important part of this book. Though I have read over books that pay token to reading or contain beautiful passages about the impact of literature, THE READER takes appreciating books to a whole new level. There were a countless number of beautiful quotes about reading that I loved and it was wonderful to see a book where reading was extremely important. Often, people say reading is magic, but in the case of THE READER, that message is taken quite literally.

The fantasy elements in this were very well-developed and fleshed out. The world was not overly complicated, so while the reader is being thrown into the world, it is not too complex to understand. Unlike lots of fantasy books, the beginning is not slow and the plot picks up right away. The magical elements that Traci Chee added into the book were fascinating and I can’t wait to see how she expands upon them further as she continues the series.

Not only was the magic enchanting, but the characters were all interesting and enjoyable to read. All in a couple hundred pages, I got to know outlaw pirates, a runaway locksmith, an assassin with no name or family, a boy who can’t talk but has plenty of scars and many more unique characters. Each character was as intriguing as the last and I can’t wait to revisit them in the sequel to THE READER (which can’t come faster!)

I recommend this book to anyone wanting an epic start to a fantasy series without the confusion and complexity that occurs with many fantasy books these days. THE READER was a unique book, carrying the message that reading is power.